La Pine man recovering from Hwy. 31 crash

A La Pine man whose pickup truck left state Highway 31, crashed through a fence and into a tree Thursday morning said he’d been eating a corndog when he choked on it and passed out behind the wheel, Oregon State Police reported.

Ronald Eugene Ganienany, 52, was flown by AirLink helicopter to St. Charles Bend, where a nursing supervisor said he was in fair condition Thursday evening.

La Pine Rural Fire District firefighter-medics, ODOT, OSP and Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies responded around 8:45 a.m. to the crash reported near milepost 2, about two miles south of the U.S. Highway 97 junction, said Fire Chief Mike Supkis.

The eastbound Chevy pickup had crossed the center line, left the road and crashed into a tree, pinning Ganienany, who was alone, authorities said.

Supkis said passers-by stopped and rendered aid to the pinned driver, who was removed from the wreckage by firefighters.

Trooper Russell Decker said Ganieany told them he was eating a corndog, choked on his food and passed out, not waking up until the pickup hit the tree.

No citations have been issued, troopers said.

ODOT restricted Highway 31 traffic to one lane for about an hour.